Aspiring to change the world; one pound cake at a time

Burnt to a Crisp

Well, not exactly, but when roasting your veg there is a fine line between perfectly cooked and black. For me, it is rarely too-far-gone, but to each his own. In my experience, I have not found a vegetable that does not taste amazing roasted. I would compare it to smoked meats, smoked cheese, or really anything smoked. Most things just taste good smoked and most veg just tastes good roasted. More…

Well, not exactly, but when roasting your veg there is a fine line between perfectly cooked and black. For me, it is rarely too-far-gone, but to each his own. In my experience, I have not found a vegetable that does not taste amazing roasted. I would compare it to smoked meats, smoked cheese, or really anything smoked. Most things just taste good smoked and most veg just tastes good roasted.

In the roasting section of Unit Five, I learned the finer details of roasting, such as correct temp to roast at, why placement of veg on the sheet pan can be important, and many yummie practice recipes which were lovely to eat. The graded activity involved roasting either butternut squash or Brussels sprouts; BS happen to be one of my favorites so I chose that recipe. My only issue was that it was not exactly the correct season for fresh sprouts here. But the activity was pretty straight forward. To start, you guessed it, gather my mise en place.From there it was simply a matter of preparing the Brussels sprouts using the simple recipe; taking care to arrange the halved sprouts by size on the baking sheet—with the largest near the edges. I roasted them in a 400-degree oven turning 2/3 of the way through.

Once roasted, I tossed with fine herbs and minced garlic. The result was perfectly browned sprouts that were enhanced by the sweetness the roasting provided without taking away the distinct flavor I enjoy in them.

Unit Five wrapped up learning about puréed vegetables and their applications such as in soup, sauces, dips, etc. I learned about what type of purée different types of veg will provide, the best way to keep them warm, and how to ensure you get the consistency you are looking for.

The unit wrapped up too quickly and it made me consider taking the plant-based program after I complete this cooking course.